Television

Part time wrestlers have been quite a thing in WWE. They are either former world champions, popular figures and legends who can no longer perform on a weekly basis probably because of multiple side projects (Holywood) or because they are already too old for that. These are big name wrestlers. They grace the ramp and the ring maybe once or twice or probably several times a year to lure all time fans and boost ticket sales.

I’ve got nothing against these guys. You can’t blame them. WWE is giving them offers that they can’t resist. And by that I meant a bunch of dolla dolla bills.

My only gripe about this is that these wrestlers don’t deserve to hold a championship title. And hell they should not be on the headline of a pay per view event. These par timers should just be in one of the side attraction matches (or segments) that will add color and excitment to the show. Leave the championship title to the full timers who woklrk their asses off regularly including the off air hiuse shows. They deserve it. Part timers already enjoyed the fame and glory. Let the younger and regular guys enjoy the fruits of their hardwork.

Last night I watched the last episode of the White Collar series. It was a great ending to say the least. Or perhaps “great ending” was an understatement. Somehow it felt like the story was a bit cramped up. Only six episodes for the final season? You gotta be kidding me! Oh well, regardless of that, it was still a blast watching Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke and Mozzie, strut their stuff every single episode.

Peter Burke was a very solid character. And many viewers will see him as a role model. He is firm with his principles. And he’s very dedicated with his job and his family. A true man of honor indeed.

Mozzie can be seen as the genius. He is a pivotal character in the series. He is the man behind the success of Neal, and even the FBI. His intelligence, critical thinking, craftsmanship and unique set of skills made me admire his character. (more…)

The upcoming Strikeforce event this Saturday will feature a heavyweight superfight between two MMA legends, “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko and “Dangerous” Dan Henderson. Fedor is looking to bounce back from a two-fight losing streak while Hendo will aim to be the third fighter to stop the once unbeatable legend.

How can Dan Henderson stop Fedor Emelianenko? The key to this is by using his wrestling. Henderson is an NCAA Division 1 wrestler and has represented the United States in international wrestling competitions. Henderson needs to take Fedor down and control the tempo of the fight. And from there he can inflict damage via ground and pound. In Fedor’s most recent fight, he was man-handled by Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. He lost the fight via TKO at the end of the second round.

But Henderson won’t enjoy the size advantage that Big Foot had. Dan Henderson has competed in three weight classes namely, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. But Hendo is a natural 205-pounder in a 5 foot 11 inch frame. Fedor on the other hand is a natural 230-pounder and is an inch taller than Hendo. We’ve seen in the Big Foot fight that size became a huge factor that helped Silva in controlling Fedor on the ground. What Henderson needs to do is to set-up his takedowns. He can probably open up with his lethal right hand to give him a higher chance of taking Fedor to the ground. But take note, Fedor has a lethal power punch as well and he has excellent submissions from the bottom.

Will Fedor get back to the top of the division? If Fedor wins this fight, it will surely boost his rankings. However, it won’t be that much since Henderson is not a natural heavyweight. But hey, it’s Dan Henderson. A win against Hendo is surely a big one.

Win or lose, what’s next Fedor and Hendo? If Henderson wins, he will be remembered as one of the fighters to ever defeat The Last Emperor and this will boost his rankings as a heavyweight. A light heavyweight title defense is definitely next in line. I can say that Henderson has nothing to lose, given that he’ll be fighting in a different weight class and his Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title is not on the line. The bigger pressure is on Fedor. If Fedor wins, he can get back into the mix by taking on another top heavyweight. A rematch against Fabricio Werdum could be a good path. Or he could probably take on Alistair Overeem. If Fedor loses, I don’t know. I’m not saying that he should retire. He still has a good number of years ahead of him but I do think he should change training camps, further enhance his natural talent and develop more tactics to complement his array of skills. And hopefully he frees himself from the hands of his managers.

I know many MMA fans are excited to see this. Fedor fans are hoping for a huge come back. I am a Fedor fan and I am rooting for him on this one.Strikeforce: Fedor Vs Henderson will be on Saturday, July 30, at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.